to a fault

Idioms  

1. Excessively, extremely, as in He was generous to a fault. This phrase, always qualifying an adjective, has been so used since the mid-1700s. Indeed, Oliver Goldsmith had this precise usage in The Life of Richard Nash (1762).

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

to a fault

“I don’t believe in excommunicating anything, but I’m, to a fault, aggressively not on-screen. I carry a phone, but I’m legendary for being the hardest person to get a hold of.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

Heathrow Express, which normally runs from Paddington to the airport every 15 minutes, is closed in both directions due to a fault with the signalling system, according to the service's website.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

But due to a fault in processing procedures, if you file your return in the final hours or days before the deadline, you risk being mistakenly classified as a late-filer and charged a 5% penalty.

From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026

Ms. Findlay’s direction is patient to a fault.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

The difference in weight would be written off as trash, which defied precise weighing, or laid to a fault in the scales.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

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